...today, I am writing from the same chair that's always at my desk. But, for some reason, I feel much more grateful for it now that I'm here. Maybe it's because of the sunlight outside my window that's harsh in the mid-morning shade. It's an everyday feeling. Some days, I can't see any of what's out there in my garden. Not for any lack of presence, because I know it's aLL there staring back at me, but when I've just woken up I can't help but think that none of this world can reaLLy be mine. How else can we reckon with such opulence? Except to feel blind toward its unlimited ways. I must remember that I am not lost...

You can tell the Dead were playing hard on this tour, trying to build a market. You can hear it in the music throughout the shows. And, you can tell they consciously played different, by listening to the American shows before and after the E72 tour.
London shows bookended the tour and this is the final show of a set of four at The Lyceum in the West End, London's theater district (called the Strand Lyceum so as not to confuse it for The Lyceum in Sheffield - but why not just call it the London Lyceum?). The Lyceum has been used for theater production since then and The Lion King musical has played since 1999!
A monster-length show at nearly 4 hours, the only longer show of the tour was Wigan (5/7). Just look at all that stuff. It's like two back-to-back shows and the First Set alone could be a show. Length doesn't infer quality and of the six London shows it's not actually the best (check out 4/7), nor the best of the 4-day run. But, as with all E72, it's still very good and has big highlights, several of which were used for the original Europe '72 album. Garcia wasn't as animated on this night but Bobby and Keith were.
First Set. The band took some warming up and the start is kind of flat with a rough Promised Land and average songs up until El Paso where Keith shines. You can hear the band picking up momentum (as was so often the case). Every player then digs in to Dire Wolf where the beat is swung with swagger. This the very last Stranger/Two Souls and not the best of the 13 that were played (all in Spring 72). Playin isn't the best of the tour either, but it's still a solid 18min-version with great Jer-tone. He's Gone IS one of the tour's best. Check Bob's vibrato. Jack Straw doesn't have the energy of others in '72 but has great fills. There were 18 China Cats on the tour and this sparkly/shiny version is in the top half (though not the Rider). The end sandwich is creative and steady.
Second Set. Truckin is actually better than the doctored version on the original Europe '72 album. The Other One & Morning Dew were also used for the 3xLP, even though, while above average, they're not the best from the tour. The latter sounds really different in original form. The rest of the set is hot. Though Sing Me Back Home is always the opposite of exciting, this is the best version. The whole tour has great versions of Me & My Uncle but this one still stands out. Bobby strangely claims Billy had been using veto against playing it; in fact they played it the last nine nights! Jer and Billy had both commented about "Bob's cowboy shit" but Jer always had something to say on Uncle, here playing right behind the beat and slurring the notes to perfect effect, sticking fills throughout. And listen for Keith's counterpoints. The rest is tight but One More Saturday is a particularly wild, full version (well-known from the original album).
1st Set:  B-
2nd Set: B
Overall = 4 Stars
Highlights:
Dire Wolf - everybody has input
He's Gone
Jack Straw
China Cat Sunflower
Not Fade Away>GDtRFB>NFA
Truckin' - the version on Europe '72, undoctored
Sing Me Back Home - perhaps the best one; used on Europe '72 v. 2
Me & My Uncle
One More Saturday Night - best of year?

Never thought I'd ever be able to go back to then. I was 19 in 1972, living in London, earning peanuts, and I really did go to both of the Wembley shows, and all four shows at the Lyceum. Can't even recall the damage to my tiny wallet being that severe - there just wasn't a stampede, though the gigs were full (but there didn't seem to be ticket stampedes in those days). Guessed I'd never have another chance to hear my then favourite music-makers again - anyway, guessed they'd never be the same again, assuming they even carried on (having built my expectations on 'Live Dead' and 1971's live 'Grateful Dead' double). They certainly met my expectations, aside from some fairly obvious sadness over the jettisoning of some of the Live Dead dark, mysterious feel and numbers; as a player, I also sulked briefly over Mr G's Fenderization). I was also wrong in respect of their ability both to keep going and to keep doing good work (as the London show(s) in the late 1980s showed, though I didn't dare go, fearing disappointment - the BBC live TV/radio broadcast had me in tears, of joy rather than regret (by then EVERYONE of a certain age claimed to love the Dead, though only a tiny number had ever been Heads earlier). I shall be investigating the dead.net sets, and tuning in here to 'listen as I work'. Like it so far! Scratch that: love it! (Love IA too!)

"He Chose Poorly" haha.
Yes its sad they pulled all the Europe 72' shows after the full release. I bought the discs for this show because it's an all time favorite, perhaps the greatest night of music they performed with Keith Godchaux.
All of the Pigpen tunes are highlights, for this would be his last show as a participating member (I don't count that other show where he fell asleep at the organ a month later). "Two Souls in Communion" is stronger than ever. Weir's "El Paso" has fiery piano and rhythm guitar battles. The rare (for the time) "Dire Wolf" is a treat to listen back to. "Playin" is the first version that really gets wayyy out there. They had been developing it from it's silly pop roots from the beginning of the Europe tour. This version reflects the majesty that would blossom on during their fall/winter tours.
As others have said, the second set is a best-ever. Europe 72' took the "Prelude" and "Epilogue" passages from this Truckin', which is as good as they would ever get. Locked in, the spirit of fusion bop jazz delivered a'la Grateful Dead. Those who haven't heard this second set jam MUST get ahold of it!
It becomes apparent that Keith Godchaux at one point had the capacity to musically communicate with Garcia/Lesh/Kruetzman on a level that took them to places never explored previous. His later years in comparison get pretty sad. Love Keith's work on this show. Layered with Pig's simpler yet powerful organ licks, this is the true quintessential Grateful Dead.
After this show things would never be the same. And yes, as recounted in Dead Historian Dennis McNally's "A Long Strange Trip" Garcia was deeply affected by this second set and this "Dew" is a particularly standout version.
A favorite of mine for many years, from somebody who was too young to have seen it performed live. Luckily we have great recordings of it to recount the majesty.

I had bookmarked this to listen to at a later date. Now all Europe '72 shows have been pulled from the archive due to the official release of the complete recordings. While it's great that this incredible run has been remastered and released in it's entirety, I can't afford the $450 price tag. No more Europe '72 sbd's! :(

A monumental performance, the band has pulled out all the stops for their last show of the tour. The nineteen song 2+ hour first set, perhaps the finest of the tour, is a monster, featuring fantastic performances of Cumberland Blues, Jack Straw, China/Rider, Playin' in the Band and a surprise Dire Wolf. Concluding with a jammed out NFA> GDTRFB> NFA, this set on its own would have been a great show. But of course the band still has a bit of magic left in the tank, the second set comencing with a jam suite right off the bat.
This one will sound very familiar with the incredible Truckin' and Morning Dew immortalized on Europe '72, split by an epic 35+ minute, largely percusion driven performance of The Other One which gets reprised twice. The post Truckin' "Epilogue" is phenomenal. Seamless, it's difficult to discern where Truckin' ends and The Other One begins, Jerry and Keith are locked in so tightly. A brief but intense bass solo preceeds the intro theme. After a great drum solo the theme fires up again. Keiths playing is extraordinary here. During a brief segment just prior to the first verse he sounds like Steve Winwood.
The following ten minute post-verse "Prelude" to Morning Dew is one of the most compelling passages that the band has ever played. After the phenomenal performance of Morning Dew the band finds their way back into The Other One. Three minutes into second reprise there is some rather cool interplay between Weir and Garcia which is followed by a brief but sublime duet between Pigpen and Keith that must be heard to be believed. Simply beautiful, it's an amazing conclusion to this epic tour. (100 pts)

This is a personal favorite, just love love love the set list, energy, and perfs--esp. poignant since Pig was so close to the end of the line. The Mr. Charlie really gets to me. As others have said, the hour-long TOO/etc. jam is beyond belief.

oh sweet sweet sweetness

Some of the best playing I've ever heard from any band, and some of the best from the Dead themselves. Let's hear the Beatles do that live. But how the hell did the recordists and audio engineers capture that with '72 technology; nice mastering job too. Pretty beautiful Black Throated Wind but I miss Bobby's "goin' back home, that's what I'm gonna do..." Hat's off to Billy and Keith: two of the utmost underrated players of all time. Billy is the master of the bell and free time and Keith, unobtrusive yet essential fluid improvisation.

Truckin > Other One from '72 is where it's at. Most are MONSTERS. This is no exception! Collect 'em all!

A few things I can never get enough of from the Dead are Bob's short shorts and his Turlock, Ca. references. All classic all the time.
What else can really be said about any of these Europe '72 shows? Chances are if you've found this site and maneuvered to this show, you already know how bad ass it is. And if you got here by shear dumb luck, then sit back because you are in for a treat.
This period with Keith's great playing added to Jerry, Bob and Pig tunes is just awesome. The deeper you dig, the more treasures you find. As with the majority of Dead shows, its the 2nd set that does it for me. And this one is no exception. Outstanding.
The Truckin'> The Other One> Drums> The Other One> Jam> Morning Dew> The Other One> Sing Me Back Home is over an hour of pure bliss.
This show is time well spent.
Peace.

i loved the bit about the mobil sound truck , it was a small hertz rental with the equipment lying on the floor , i was there

Well folks, this was the end of the "strange trip" for the GD from touring europe. Supposedly, the band was straight as RamRod made everybody get rid of their dope, no personal stuff. According to some stories in some books, the stuff was burned on the stage of the Lyceum at the soundcheck. The reason was so nobody got checked at customs when re-entering the states.
If this is what we get when the GD are straight, sign me up.
Across the board, the whole show is perfomed at near perfect. I've listened to this show many times and being a musician, I know when the miscues, mis-frets, and wrong notes are played. I don't seem to recall any at all, and the energy is incredible. It really sounds like they didn't think they would ever play europe again. There is something about this show that even stands out amoung entire 72 and the whole europe tour. Highlights are : the whole second set is a journey with both truckin and morning dew being officially released on Europe 72. In fact, the truckin is etched in so many older fans heads that I've heard Hornsby quote the famous jerry line on the out chorus from this show in so many other shows when Hornsby played with the GD. (He knows which one!)
Even first set tunes are a treat, Playin in the Band is at very high level unlike the mellow versions of 73 and 74 when after the "song" they go into the improv. usually the band would bring the dynamic volume down alot; not here, just real intense bubbling psychedelic rock. Even the regular stuff like Loser, Mr. Charlie are well played. Like I said, the mix is incredible as well. Betty Cantor and Rex Jackson were in the mobile truck with a custom 24 track soundboard and this is what you get, really nice balance. Don't forget all the classic tube amps the GD used back then, this was before they had all thier individual rigs with alot of processing and effects. Simply organic, nice warm sound and KILLER performance, it could be the best performance of the whole career.
Donnie Loeffler

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~^|\_@|@_/|^~
~<->/<->\<->~
"This day in GRATEFUL DEAD History"
~Classic 72' Soundboard~
Thirty seven years ago to the day, the GRATEFUL DEAD were performing in London, England. I couldn't be there, but I showed up today...where were you?
I highly recommend adding this show to your 1972 GRATEFUL DEAD collection. It's a "Must Have" show.
"Classic 1972 Sound."
"PIGPEN & KEITH" Show.
Pigpen on organ, Keith on Piano.

An upbeat, energetic, well rehearsed, fun show from a longtime ago when things were still "young".
I recommend using your EQ during playback of most of the shows on the IA, this one included. Windows Media Player has a 10 band EQ and SRS WOW effects that enhance the sound.
Solid, "In the Pocket" performances of all our favorite 72' songs.
Here's one way to dowload this show:
The IA recommends users of Windows XP view this web-page with RealPlayer. RealPlayer is a free media player you can download at www.realplayer.com.
For easy streaming or downloading you should use RealPlayer.
Using RealPlayer to view this webpage, click the VBR M3U link to open the songs in the Playlist. If your Playlist is not open, open it by clicking the Playlist icon at the lower right hand corner of RealPlayer. Once the songs are in the Playlist, double click the song to play it, then click the record button at the lower left hand corner of Realplayer to record it. When the red line reaches the other end click the stop button to download the song. Your song is in the RealPlayer Downloads folder. Repeat these steps for each song.
Eat, Drink, Be Merry and Listen to the GRATEFUL DEAD.
Thanks for the LOVE from 1972.
PS: Get em' while you can, get em' while they're free, get em' now or you'll be sorry...the Man giveth and the Man taketh away...WTTW

wow
truckin>other one>wow
wow.

i love this show and how i feel every time i listen to it. the morning dew and songs surrounding it (esp the merle haggard song sing me back home) are wonderful. sound quality is great and the band was amazing that night.

Here is one of the better 72' shows in all its raging glory. Some of the better versions of Truckin and The Other One. Truckin is one that appears on Europe 72'; also a great Playin', NFA > GDTRFB > NFA. First and only time it ever appeared in the first set. This show is no 4/8 or 8/27; but I will have to say that this is one of,if not THE best 72'"non Dark Star" shows. 9/28/72 is the only one that comes close. Almost 4 hours of music here (first set alone is over 2 hours!!) and nearly every song is played well. Great sound quality as well. I give it 4 and a half stars, as the five stars are held for the "big seven shows" of 72...4/8, 7/18, 8/27, 9/17, 9/21, 9/27, and 9/28.